300+ Best Instagram Captions to Use for Your Photos

What is an Instagram Caption?

An Instagram caption is a written description or explanation about an Instagram photo to provide more context. Instagram captions can include emojis, hashtags, and tags. Here’s an example of a caption on Instagram:

What is an Instagram Caption?

Anna Kendrick posted a photo of her with a cute animal. Her Instagram caption reads “He followed me home ma! Can I keep him?” In this case, her caption helps give context as to why she took a picture with this animal. She told a one sentence story about how he followed her home, but likely took the photo because she thought he was cute (just look at her face!) and wanted to keep him.

How to Write Instagram Captions

1. Ask for Something

Posts with the most engagement tend to have Instagram captions that ask for something.

You might ask for friend tags such as “tag a friend who’d love this t-shirt.” You could also use your Instagram caption to ask a question such as “What do you think of this look?” And of course, you can ask for a purchase by asking people to click the link in the bio.

By asking for something, you engage your audience and strengthen your relationship with them. All good Instagram captions get people talking, sharing, or buying.

2. What’s the Instagram Caption Character Limit?

The Instagram caption character limit is 2,200 characters. How many words are 2,200 characters? About 330 words, give or take.

Take advantage of this character limit every now and then. Some days you might choose to write an Instagram caption with a string of emojis, but other days you might decide to share a story. 2,200 characters are enough to clearly communicate the context of your post.

Use a character count tool to keep track of the number of characters that you’ve created for your caption. It’ll make it easy for you to stay within the mentioned character limit.

3. Use Emojis as Easter Eggs

If you’ve got a sizable and loyal audience, you can use emojis to leave Easter eggs in your Instagram captions. What’s an Easter egg? They’re little hints that send a message across without explicitly saying anything.

For example, Dua Lipa has been using emojis in recent weeks. She’s said to be promoting the official video of her single called Love Again.e. And while she never says anything about the single, she keeps using emojis to make fans hysterical.

If you have an upcoming launch or an announcement you want to hint at, you can use emojis in your Instagram captions to create hype.

4. Brainstorm Several Good Instagram Captions First

Have you ever thought of something really witty to say after posting on Instagram?

Bleh, sucks. The secret to coming up with the best Instagram captions the first time around is to write a bunch of captions first before choosing one. You can create a short list of ideas, browse hashtags for inspo, or look up puns for your keyword.

Ultimately, you need to pre-decide what tone you want for your caption first. Do you want to share a heartfelt story or make someone laugh? Once you know the tone you want, you can come up with caption ideas to see what works best for your photo.

Want to learn a few more amazing Instagram tips? Learn from Jade Darmawangsa in our free Instagram course.

Now that you know how to write Instagram captions, let's look at the best captions in different categories to inspire your own.

Instagram captions for boys

Whatever is good for your soul, do that
Even the stars were jealous of the sparkle in her eyes
Stress less and enjoy the best
Get out there and live a little
I’m not high maintenance, you’re just low effort
I’m not gonna sugar coat the truth, I’m not Willy Wonka
Life is better when you’re laughing
Look for the magic in every moment
Vodka may not be the answer but it’s worth a shot
A sass a day keeps the basics away

Instagram Captions for Selfies and Selfie Quotes

Me, myself and I
Just me
But first, let me take a selfie
Typical me
Selfie Sunday
I was born to shine
Me doing me
I don’t always take a selfie, but when I do…
What do you think of this look?
I woke up like this
Couldn’t be happier 🙂

Instagram Captions 2023

You can regret a lot of things but you’ll never regret being kind
Do whatever makes you happiest
“Having the dream is easy, making it come true is hard” – Serena Williams
Decluttering my life like Marie Kondo
If I were rich, I’d pull a Netflix and spend $100 million on my Friends
In 2023, I want to be as Insta famous as an egg and as ageless as Paul Rudd
Can’t hear, can’t speak, can’t see.
“Be heroes of your own stories” – Constance Wu
“Hella fine and it works every time” – Ariana Grande
My life is as crooked as Rami Malek’s bowtie

Success Captions

#wedidit
We did it!
Work hard then work harder
Hustlin’
When daydreams become reality
Say yes, take risks, and live life on your own terms
The impossible is now possible
Perseverance pays… a lot!
It wasn’t always easy but it’s worth it
Pursue your passion and you’ll never work a day in your life
Entrepreneur life

Instagram Captions for Couples

Just the two of us
He’s my best friend
He’s my King, I’m his Queen
Sometimes relationships end so love stories can begin
We are totally #couplegoals
My world, my heart, my everything
Bae
My one and only
My love
You’re my 1 in 7 billion

Instagram Captions for Best Friend

Friends are like stars, constantly coming and going, but the ones that stay burn as bright as the sun
A good friend might know your wild stories but your best friend was right there with you
I would never let my best friend do anything stupid…alone
bff ❤️
Laughing at random things. Partying ‘til the sunrise. There’s no one else I’d want by my side. Love ya!
Hold onto your best friend because you’ll never find someone like them again
Back in the old days my best friend why quiet and shy. I turned her into a monster. 😜
Find someone who brings out the best in you
A best friend is like your favorite bra: supportive, comfortable, hard to find, and close to your heart
A best friend will love you when you’re too sad to love yourself

Pro tip: If you want to tag a friend, enter the “@” symbol and type their name. For instance, write “@nicole” if your friend’s name is Nicole. But make sure they’re on Instagram before tagging them in your captions.

Question Captions

Yes or No?
How can I help you?
What do you think of this?
How gorgeous is this?
If you could be doing anything right now, what would it be?
Which [fill in the blank] are you?
Trivia Time: How many people have tried [fill in the blank]?
How are you guys doing?
Miss me?
What time is it?

Lit Instagram Captions

Don’t trust everything you see, even salt can look like sugar

Everyone has a chapter they don’t read out loud

Too lit to quit

Shoutout to myself because I’m lit

I don’t tell you I love you out of habit but as a reminder of how much you mean to me

When I started counting my blessings, I realized I have everything I could ever need

A smile can change the world

The biggest mistake you can ever make is to be afraid to make mistakes

Life is tough but so am I

“My coach said I run like a girl. So I said if he ran a little faster he could too.” – Mia Hamm

Motivational Instagram Captions

Oops is always better than what if
If you want opportunity to knock, it’s time to build a door
The little things in life matter
If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?
I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday
It always seems impossible until it’s done
It may be stormy now but it never rains forever
“There’s a dream that I’ve been chasing want so badly for it to be reality” – Justin Bieber
Dreams don’t have expiration dates, keep going.
Set goals you don’t tell anyone about. Achieve them. Then give yourself the highest of fives!

One Word Captions

One Word Instagram Captions

Me
Us
Love
YES!
Ugh…
Heaven
Speechless.
#Goals
OMG!
Surprise!
Awkward…

Instagram Captions for Summer

instagram captions for summer

Feelin’ hot, hot, hot
Sea, Sun and Smiles 🙂
Summer lovin’ happened so fast
Chasin’ the sun
Blue skies, high tides and good vibes
Hello sunshine!
Life’s a beach
I never want summer to end
Eat, tan, sleep, repeat
This is my resting beach face

Baddie Instagram Captions

baddie captions

Act like you own the world because you do
As long as my bank account keeps growing, I couldn’t care less about anything else
I keep it real because I’m not afraid of having enemies
…um ok
You were my cup of tea but I drink wine now
Ambition on fleek
I wouldn’t chase you because I’m the catch
Know your worth but don’t forget to add tax
I’m the reason why I smile everyday
I don’t care if you approve of me, I approve of myself

Rap Lyrics for Instagram Captions

rap captions social media

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man”
“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime.”
California love
“We gonna party like it’s your birthday”
“I got 99 problems, but [fill in the blank] ain’t one”
“The more money we come across, the more problems we see”
Big poppa
“Drop it like it’s hot”
Only God Can Judge Me
“I’m feelin’ myself”
“To live doesn’t mean you’re alive”

Cardi B Instagram Captions

“If a girl have beef with me, she gon’ have beef with me forever”
“Knock me down 10 times but I get up 10”
“I’m being nice to you. Have I stabbed you? No.”
“I’m my own competition – I’m competing with myself.”
“Do whatever you have to do. People always want to tell you how to do it. No, do it your way. And don’t ask for like oh how can you do it … do it, figure it out. I figured it out one way or another and I did it.”
“I’m the rose that came from concrete.”
“I’m gonna be on a budget until the day I die.”
“I’m living my best life”
“Looking like a right swipe on Tinder.”
“Now I like dollars, I like diamonds, I like stunting, I like shining”

Instagram Captions Lyrics 2023

lyrics instagram

“I’ve loved and I’ve lost but that’s not what I see” – Ariana Grande
“I need somebody who can take control” – Sam Smith
“Keep switchin’ your alibi, or stutterin’ when you reply. You can’t even look me in the eye. Oh, I can tell, I know you’re lyin’” – The Chainsmokers
“Farewell tequila, so long margarita. And lady sativa, I hate to leave ya” – Bebe Rexha
“You know what you’re doin’ to me” – Ariana Grande
“It’s a hard time finding your freedom” – Slushii
“I would sell my soul for a bit more time” – Halsey
“Always wanted to be one of those people in the room that says something and everyone puts their hand up” – Julia Michaels feat. Selena Gomez
“I’m a babe, I’m a boss and I’m makin’ this money” – Avril Lavigne feat. Nicki Minaj
“It was you who taught me living is togetherness” – Calvin Harris feat. Rag’n’Bone Man

Instagram Captions Travel

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go first?
Hope you’re enjoying work, I’ll just be chillin’ here in [destination]
Leavin’ on a jet plane
Guess where I am
Work. Save. Travel. Repeat.
Time for an adventure!
Wanderlust
Wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else
Be right back, exploring the world
I travel because you can always get more money, but you can never get more time
Just gonna cross this off the bucket list…

Cat Instagram Captions

Her meow melts my heart
I saw ya sniffin’ around...is it me your looking for?!
I LOVE SCRATCHESSSS!
The purrty has spoken
Omg! Mom! Is that furr me?!
You went outside without me hooman? Unacceptable!
It’s gettin hot out here, I got on too much fur ....
Hmm how did I get up here?
Grocery shopping today with Hooooman
Whisker Wednesday. So nice outside today.

Instagram Captions Vacation

Vacation calories don’t count
Adventure, here we come!
Memories made together, last forever
Life is better with the sand between your toes
It’s not polite to keep a vacation waiting
Sorry, out on a beach relaxing. Be back soon!
The only vacation you’ll ever regret is the one you don’t take
Passports and palm trees
BEACH: Best Escape Anyone Can Have
“If you think adventure is dangerous; try routine. It’s lethal.” – Paulo Coelho

Nature Captions for Instagram

Go to the place where you feel most alive
A walk in the woods feels like home
By getting lost in nature, you get closer to finding yourself
If you’re looking for heaven on earth step outside
Sometimes all the soul needs is a walk in nature
The mountains call to me
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
If you’re looking for beauty, you’ll find it in nature
Life is short and the world is wide so get out there and explore it
Wherever you go, leave a trail

IG Captions

Life is the biggest party you’ll ever be at
An apple a day will keep anyone away if you throw it hard enough
Give second chances but not for the same mistake
Never sacrifice three things: family, love, and or yourself
I’m an original and that’s perfection in itself
You can’t dull my sparkle ✨
Be the person you needed when you were young
Life is about taking chances and having fun
So grateful for this moment
I’m thankful for the struggles that made me the person I am today

Captions for Girls

Messy bun and having fun
I got it from my mama
A great girl is classy not trashy
Girls are changing the world
Who run the world? GIRLS.
Just like my eyeliner, I always wing it
I’m not one in a million, I’m one in 7 billion
Leave a little sparkle everywhere you go
I’m wild and free
The only person I dress to impress is me

Captions for Boys
instagram captions for boys

Boys will be boys
Chillin’ with my bros
Boys got swagger, men have style, but gentlemen have class
Be a warrior in a room of worriers
A great man is strong because he can be gentle
Haters are my greatest motivators
A real man provides, protects and perseveres
The only time a man should ever lie is to surprise someone
No guts, no glory.
Release the beast within

Instagram Captions for Food

Good food, good mood
I’m on a seafood diet. I see food I eat it
Never settle for just one scoop
Don’t be upsetti, eat some spaghetti
Chocolate is cheaper than therapy
Waffles are just pancakes with abs
Food before dudes
When you’re downie eat a brownie
Pasta la vista baby
You can’t live a full life on an empty stomach

Coffee Captions

Resting coffee face
Hocus pocus I need coffee to focus
Life is better with a coffee in hand
I like big cups and I cannot lie
Taking a little coffee break
Feeling depresso without my espresso
I like myself how I like my coffee: dark, bitter, and too hot for you
Caffeine Queen
Too much Monday not enough coffee
When things go wrong, coffee helps

Short Instagram Captions

Oh hey there!
Short and sweet
…
I got nothing
*Insert witty Instagram caption here*
Just livin’ life
Just chillin’
Today’s perfect
Yup, another food pic
Why so serious?
Time for a change

Sad Instagram Captions

Tears come straight from the heart
Sometimes, at night, I hope to fall asleep before I fall apart
I didn’t change. You did. You stopped loving me.
“Learning is a gift. Even if pain is the teacher.” – Maya Watson
As a kid I was afraid of monsters under my bed but as I grow older I realize they live inside my head.
Want to be happy? Care less.
Until you’ve heard my story, you have no idea
Even when I’m sad, I show off my big smile anyways
I miss you…
The rumor is true, I’m sad. Again.